LORETTO, Pa.- The FDU Knights (14-13, 7-5 NEC) fell in four sets during the NEC Championship Match to #1 SFU (18-11, 10-2 NEC). The two squads were vying for their first NEC Championship, after SFU had hosted the past four tournaments.
Jamal Ellis and Rayjan Suarez Palacios were named to the NEC All-Tournament Team, following standout weekends from the All-NEC First Teamers.
Facing a 6-3 SFU lead, Rayjan Suarez Palacios added a kill and a service ace to bring the Knights within one, 6-5. Kills from Vinil Shah broke up seven points from the home squad, as SFU continued to lead, 11-7.
The Knights were able to chip away at the SFU lead, with Panagiotis Kourmouzos and Dylan McFadden each adding two points to the scoreboard. However, the Red Flash remained in front, taking the first set 25-17.
Jamal Ellis and Suarez Palacios laid down the first two kills for FDU to go ahead 2-1. Two opposing service errors and a Shah kill kept the Knights in front by one. After SFU drew the score even at five each way, Ellis began his takeover of the game, recording a kill and assisting Kourmouzos on a block across consecutive plays to give the Knights a 7-5 advantage.
As the Knights held a 9-7 lead, Ellis rattled off three straight kills, with Randy Delgado contributing a pair of assists. Ellis would later add another kill and assist Suarez Palacios on a block to keep FDU ahead, 15-8.
The Red Flash began to erode the FDU lead away, coming within five, 20-15. The tandem of Ellis and Suarez Palacios added another double block, before two more Knights kills extended their advantage, 23-16. Vinil Shah ended the set with a kill to secure the Knights' 25-20 victory in the set.
The third set began as a game of runs, with SFU narrowly leading 5-4. Facing a 9-7 deficit, two Ellis kills and an attacking error from SFU helped the Knights leap past their opponents 10-9.
Suarez Palacios added another kill to hold the Knights' 13-12 lead, before the Red Flash sparked a six-point-burst to retake the lead 18-13. SFU remained in front of the Knights, with a Suarez Palacios kill and two Red Flash errors keeping the set interesting in the waning phases, as the home squad held onto their lead 25-23.
The Knights found themselves facing a 5-3 deficit early, before a Suarez Palacios kill and Ellis ace drew the score even. A three-point-run saw the Knights' first lead of the set, with kills from Shah and Ellis pushing FDU ahead, 8-6. The Red Flash battled back into a 9-9 contest, before another Ellis kill and a double block from McFadden and Kourmouzos reasserted the Knights, 11-9.
The final lead of the Knights came after a kill from Kourmouzos, to keep the Knights ahead 14-12. The Red Flash rattled off four unanswered points to take a lead which they would not relinquish. Two Ellis kills bookended an SFU service error to keep the Knights in striking distance, 18-17. Six of the next seven points went in favor of SFU, as they took a 24-18 lead. Ellis landed FDU's last kill of the night, before the Red Flash closed the door, 25-20.
This concludes FDU's 2026 campaign
